Marion's new election board ready to set aside past differences

MARION - The roles have changed at the Marion County Board of Elections.

Cindy Price, a Democrat who was hired by the board in February, will now be its director following a Monday meeting to reorganize.

Her original role as deputy director will be filled by Republican David Little, though he is serving on an interim basis and expects to leave by April.

The switch makes Lynn Zucker, a Republican who has been on the board for just over a year, the chairperson.

The director and chairperson cannot be of the same political party, according to the manual for Ohio Elections. With the director now being a Democrat, the responsibilities of chair falls on the senior Republican on the board.

The local election board is required to reorganize every two years, according to the Ohio Secretary of State's Office. It also represents the first time the board has met publicly since two of its longtime members decided not to re-up at the end of their terms last week.

Both Democrat Phyllis Eshman-Thomas, a 7-year board member who served as chairperson, and Republican Thomas Frericks, a 20-year board member, decided not to seek new terms on the board.

Eshman-Thomas and Frericks were replaced by Democrat Christa Smith, who was Marion County Board of Elections director from 2001 to 2011, and Republican Larry Heiser, respectively.

Their political parties recommended them to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, which ultimately approved their appointments last month.

The board was then required to reorganize during the first week of March, according to directives set forward by the Secretary of State. On Monday, a director, deputy director and chair were selected in that order.

Smith said a Democrat has not been the director since she left that position 8-years ago.

The decision to appoint Price to that role on Monday stems from her being a permanent employee of the board, according to Democrat Carolyn Weston, who has been on the board since January.

She said the board felt it was the best course of action since a permanent replacement for Little has yet to be hired.

The changes come several months after the board’s previous deputy director was ousted last year with the help of a member of her own party.

The decision to fire then-Deputy Director Sue Schwamberger, a Democrat, during a November meeting caused controversy as some in attendance questioned the reasons behind it.

Then-Democratic board member Steve Chaffin voted with his Republican counterparts to oust Schwamberger, and weeks later, he resigned amid pressure from his own party to leave.

During that same meeting, a vote to fire then-Director John Meyer, a Republican, was split along party lines. However, he was dismissed in January following a tie-breaking decision by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

Now, it is up to the Republicans on the board to find a replacement.

Zucker previously told the Star that they have completed the initial stages in the search that are required by the state. The deadline for applicants was last month.

Heiser said the decision reached by the board on Monday will not affect the search. He said they are in the process of interviewing candidates and hope to make a recommendation in the coming weeks.

The candidate that will be recommend to and hired by the board as a whole will assume the deputy director position.

Board members stated that both positions hold equal power and pay an annual salary of $56,264.

With a mostly new board this year, Weston said its important for them to set aside past differences.

Heiser agreed, adding that he has complete confidence in the board's ability to work together as they prepare for the coming elections in May and November.